Rosie and Camellia have been so important in my life, but they aren’t the only dogs to touch my heart. Long before I got my very own dog, my extended family introduced me to what it was like to love animals.

We know we’re not supposed to feed our dogs table scraps but so many of us do it anyway, but there are five specific things you really need to be concerned about, some even veterinarians didn’t know about until recently.

Does your pet have a favorite toy? Something he or she carries around the house, plays fetch with, maybe uses as a pillow. It’s probably slobber soaked and smells something awful, but you’d never dream of trying to pry it from the paws of your furry friend.